Women’s History Month: Interview with June Jamian

Can you tell me a little about what you do and how long you’ve been with the company?

I worked at CNA Insurance for the VP and President of Operations for 19 years but that was on the life insurance side. I travelled back and forth to Chicago quite a bit during those times because the home office was in Chicago. After the company was sold and the life department was downsized, I went to work as an executive assistant for another insurance company that was a premium finance insurance company, and I worked for them for about 8 years as a personal assistant and executive assistant to the president. So, my entire career has been in the insurance industry.

I am the Office Manager and Matt Button’s assistant who is, of course, the U.S. CEO for Davies and I have been with the company for ten years in February. In the office, I mainly ensure all the equipment is up and running, all supplies are purchased, I keep up with all our licensing and consulting, and contracts. I schedule Matt’s travel, reconcile his expense reports, schedule meetings, interact with all of his direct reports, and senior staff. I also work closely with accounting regarding their billing processes. When we get invoices, I distribute those out and tell accounting who to charge them to, getting them approved and sent through. I’m also in charge of any company function as far as working lunches, retirement lunches, or if Matt has any important visitors he’s meeting with, I’ll make sure that everything is set up for that meeting.

What would you say are the benefits to working in the insurance industry in particular?

On the claims side, it opens your eyes to workers’ compensation claims and how those claims come about and the inner workings of those claims. You get to know and really see how a claim is handled and how it’s processed from beginning to end. Also, working on the life side for so long like I did, you get to learn the inner workings of a life insurance company. So, you got to see the legal side of a claim, the process and formulating the dollar amount that could be paid on it, as well as the risk of the claim. So, there’s a wide range of things you can learn, be exposed to, and find a niche that you’re particularly interested in.

Since you’ve been in the industry your whole career, how have you seen the industry change in relation to women in the field?

The industry has totally evolved since I’ve started. We did have some senior management leadership that were women at CNA and they were bulldogs. It almost seemed as if they had to present their demeanor more like a man’s in order to survive in that world. Now, it’s totally different. I think women’s positions in the business industry have totally evolved because women can be just as educated now as men.

Why would you recommend the insurance industry to women starting their career or seeking a career change?

I would recommend it because I have experienced working in the insurance industry, and it has been a great career for me. It’s very interesting, there are different opportunities to grow in insurance, there are a plethora of different paths you can take within the field, so there’s a lot of room for growth. You can be an adjuster, an assistant, or be in senior management. You’re really not trapped in any particular role for the entirety of your career.